Posted in: Netflix, Stranger Things, streaming, TV | Tagged: duffer brothers, matt duffer, netflix, ross duffer, stranger things

Stranger Things 4: The Duffer Brothers on Going for Broke This Season

The Duffer Brothers, Matt & Ross, faced several challenges in season four of Stranger Things, among them constructing the narrative to bring the Hawkins gang back together, the Herculean task of its execution, how the younger cast growing up affected writing, fan expectations, and the length of its episodes. Ross explained the reasoning behind which characters went away to California and who remained in Hawkins, Indiana.

"Sometimes we know going into a season right away: 'Well, I really want to see this,'" Ross said. "For the first three weeks [in the writers' room], we were still shuffling people around — who was going to be in California, does Jonathan go back to Hawkins, does Nancy go to California … It was mixing and matching until [we had] dynamics that Matt and I and the writers were excited about. But you almost don't want to know exactly what that dynamic is going to bring." Both explained how aging and the pandemic affected the younger cast. "The pause benefited the writing because we were able for the first time to see exactly how much the kids had changed," Matt said. "Also, for the first time, we were able to complete all the scripts before shooting. [The aging] was not as dramatic as you would think, even with that six-month gap. The season two to season three jump was the one that jolted us the most."

How Stranger Things Handled Younger Cast Growing Up

"For season four, we just assumed, 'They're going to be older than whatever we can imagine,'" Ross added. "And so we wrote to that, and we aged them up even beyond [their real ages]. As shocking as it is to show up every year, it was less shocking than season three because that was really when they went through big changes. It was just like, 'Who is this?' (Laughs.)" Planning the season took a life of its own. "The run times being as long as they were, was something of a surprise to us. Ross and I have been trying to analyze how they ended up that long because the scripts aren't even that long," Matt said. "We've realized that our writing style has changed a little bit in terms of how we space out description. I think that added to some length. Also, we had an additional plot with Hopper in Russia. It's a pretty dense season. We weren't sure they were that long, really, until we got into edit. But it's something Ross, and I are actually excited about; with streaming, you're not beholden to advertisers in the way that television used to be. We don't have to hit this specific 45-minute length, so it can be as short or as long as you want."

"Our concern is pacing. If we can hold your interest for an hour and 15 minutes, then that's a win," Ross added. "We did discuss breaking up [the finale]. We ultimately decided if it's too long for someone, they can pause it, and they can come back. It's like reading a book. You can watch it at your own pace." Matt explained the fifth season will be back to basics. "I don't think the run times will be as extreme in season five. We're trying to return to the simplicity of the structure in season one, with bigger scale and scope. Except for the finale, which I'm expecting will be pretty massive." For more on how the duo breaks down the Vecna, Netflix's input, fan expectations & more, you can check out the complete interview in The Hollywood Reporter.

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